Watkins track plans $200M wind farm deal

WATKINS GLEN—NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based company that constructs and operates energy producing facilities, announced a proposed wind farm in the area surrounding Watkins Glen International. The plans call for 50 to 75 turbines to be erected in Dix, Catlin, Hector and Catharine. The Glen will be one of several landowners involved if the $200 million project receives approval from these town boards. If approved, this would be NextEra Energy Resources’ first wind project in the state of New York as well as the first in the nation incorporating a motorsport facility. Watkins Glen International chose to announce this development last Thursday, May 4. Elizabeth Mayer, public relations manager for WGI, said that the company, NextEra Energy Resources, specified that they only wanted five area media outlets at the announcement. Two hometown Schuyler County news organizations were not included. Furthermore, the information about the announcement that was on the WGI website last Friday has since been taken down, which Mayer explained was at NextEra’s request. NextEra has wind generation facilities in 18 states, including: California, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. If the plan is approved, NextEra will embark on a 40-year land agreement once construction begins along with a long-term marketing partnership with Watkins Glen International. This relationship is in addition to pre-existing marketing agreements with fellow International Speedway Corporation (ISC) facilities, Daytona International Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.